Atychiphobia

1.

Teikou Middle School Basketball club.

A super strong school with more than 100 club members, boasting several successive championship wins. But even in that glorious history, there is still a team that can without fail be called the "strongest." A generation with five players with a talent you would see once in ten years called the "Generation of Miracles."

But there was a strange rumor about the "Generation of Miracles."
Despite nobody knowing him and not being in any match records, there was still one more person the five geniuses acknowledged as superior.

The Phantom sixth player.

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A boy with light blue hair swiftly made his way through the mass of bodies. He went past every offer of eventually joining several after-school clubs thanks to his low presence. His blue eyes were focused on the book he was reading.

The boy walked right past two taller teens doing jokes and talking about new students who should join their club. He glanced at them then at the papers they held to pass out to others. 'The basketball club, huh?'

He kept reading his book while silently making his way over to the basketball club booth to fill-out the formula. As he was writing his information, a tall boy with red hair walked up, holding one of the teens from before. The blue haired boy kept quiet, just observing the situation.

The redhead asked - or more like demanded - a formula for himself after verifying that this was indeed for the basketball club. The boy left with an angry frown, glancing back once before fighting his way to the school building.

'He is kind of like him', the blue haired male thought to himself while finishing his own paper and putting it gently before the students, who were doing the booth. The boy kept following the redhead giant, his eyes now focused on him.

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It turns out they were in the same class. Even their seats were right behind each other, by the window side.

The boy introduced himself as Kagami Taiga. He was in America before traveling all the way over to Japan before starting his first year in high school. He mentioned playing basketball there and how he would be the best basketball player in the future.

The teacher skipped him, he would have to go up to him later and inform him that he was, in fact, present the whole day.

The boy with light blue hair decided to follow the American once again after accidentally shocking his teacher. Now, his teacher knows about his low presence, at least. It took quite longer in middle school, but he was also too shy three years ago to simply go up to his teacher and address his problem. Luckily, one of his basketball teammates went with him when talking to his teacher.

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Once in the gym, a line of new students were standing in front of the second years. Said second years were totally relaxed and talking with each other. The first years were barely moving a muscle. Kagami joined the line with a shadow he had yet to notice.

A girl went up and introduced the new students to the basketball club. She, Riko Aida, introduced herself as the coach.

"Everyone take off your shirts!" The new students hesitated before complying to the demand. A few showed their discomfort on their faces, and Kagami, for example, only scowled before doing as he was told. The second years stayed back, having this same thing a year ago.

Riko started slowly walking down the line of students, analyzing the boys before her. She stopped at a few to comment on the information she got from simply observing their naked upper bodys. The freshman had a look of shock on their faces after Riko observed them.

"Are you kidding... She's right..."

"What the hell?!"

"Just by looking at our bodies..."

"Her father is a sports trainer." Hyuga Junpei, the teams captain, let the first years know. "She has been observing him while working since she was little. Riko can analyze anything about ones body with just looking at you."

The coach stopped in her step, standing before Kagami. The numbers that she could see were high, nothing like the other new students. Her teams camptian had to snap her out of it, Kagami just kept his frown on his face.
"Was Kagami the last one?" Riko asked.

"Yes."

"I thought I would notice that special one..."

"That student from Teikou Middle School, right? What was his name, Kuroko?"

Riko looked once again at the line of first years once again. She was excited since the moment she laid her eyes onto that formula. "I guess he didn't show up. Well, let's start prac-"

"Excuse me, I am Kuroko."

The girls face morphed into fright by the boy's - Kuroko Tetsuya - sudden appearance. She let out a loud yelp, raising her hand up to her face in shock. Her eyes roamed over the boy, from his light blue hair to his blank-like blue eyes to his overall small appearance. Through his white shirt, she could analyze only small numbers and facts.

"Since when were you here?!"

"I was standing beside Kagami-kun the whole time." Kuroko let out with a monotone voice, already used to reactions like this.

"Wait- you're Kuroko from Teikou?!"

"Like the "Generation of Miracles"?! He couldn't have been a regular..."
"I've played in games."

More confused and shocked noises could be heard. The second years, especially Riko, just couldn't believe someone, so... underwhelming could have played with or even on the same team as that legendary one from middle school. The first years, having obviously heard of that team, also couldn't comprehend the fact that Kuroko was a regular back at Teikou.

"We-well take of your shirt!"

"I'm sorry, coach, but I'll have to refuse."

"WHAT?!"

"I don't feel comfortable with my shirt off. Whatever data you might be looking for, you will have to put up with what you can see this way."

Kuroko learned to stand with what he feels comfortable. His old teammates quickly learned that their friend would let others push him down or past his limits, just for their own success. They would be at his throat if they heard that he threw their teachings away to go back to his shy, people-pleasing way of living life. The other past club members would never believe it considering his position on the team.

When the female coach tried to convince the blue haired boy, he just stayed with what he said before. Eventually, she quit trying to change his mind and just started with practice.

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Later that day, Kagami sat with a mountain of burgers at the local Maji-Burgers. He learned to enjoy going there when he first moved to Japan. He couldn't always cook what he knew from America, and when he felt lonely, eating burgers helped with not feeling as alone as before. Small mercies.

The redhead was staring out of the large window beside him while eating. Ever since practice, that small first year wouldn't leave his mind alone. 'He said he was right beside me the whole time...' Kagami couldn't believe he hadn't noticed a whole person standing beside him. 'But then again, nobody noticed him before he said something...'

"Hello."

Kagami choked. He knew that voice.

"We meet again, Kagami-kun."

"Wha- What are you doing here?"

A blank gaze met his fiery red eyes. "I quite enjoy their vanilla milkshakes. Atsushi-kun, a friend from Teikou, showed them to me."

"Who exactly are you...?"

His classmates in America used to say that he was stupid, but that Kagami was actually quite smart when it came to basketball. This was one of those moments. He had a feeling there was more to this Kuroko fella than the boy before him showed to others. 'But what...?'

"I'm Kuroko Tetsuya, your classmate. Are you stupid, Kagami-kun?"

"SHUT UP, I'M NOT STUPID!" 'Wait- classmate?!'